A Flavourful Afternoon

For this spotlight series I am taking you to Lebanon, but in a virtually pleasing way. There's plenty of options to satiate your palate, powerful flavours to ignite both sides of your brain, and an array of colour to appreciate. So, sit back, grab a cuppa, and enjoy the view.

After a long day of preparing flowers and creating party favours to shoot for an upcoming event, I decided to have a few snacks waiting for us upon our return. It was an unusually warm winter day. To start unwinding, I made an easily blended refreshing rose tea.

For our afternoon spread, I used rose water by Mymouné, which is infused with Damask roses and distilled by each drop to allow its natural scent to remain. Typically, I use rose water in baking, and rose oil in my bath and body care because of its natural benefits. Rose water helps to fight acne, eczema, and maintain the skin's PH balance, as well as has anti-inflammatory properties.

In collaboration with Mymouné, I wanted to showcase a few of their products that we used in the gathering with the crew. If you've not used any of these ingredients we're about to talk about, perhaps this post will give you some inspiration. Mymouné specialises in traditional Lebanese food products that are free of artificial flavours, chemicals and additives. The Lebanese brand harvests their all-natural delicacies: preserves, syrups, jams and flower waters, amongst other items. Unlike some brands that carry flower waters, Mymouné's orange blossom and rose water is pure and has no additional blends.

In my family, za'atar was used quite a bit. My mum has catered plenty of functions with tasty flat breads and poultry sprinkled with za'atar, for clients, family, and friends. So, implementing these herbs and spices was an obvious choice for me because I absolutely love the taste. We are used to eating with robust flavours and typically use thyme, garlic, and sumac in cooking. Surprisingly, za'atar has some excellent benefits such as helping to fight acne too, and, because of the ingredients, it has anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Mymouné's za'atar is finely ground thyme, sesame seed, a hint of salt, and sumac. The brand has received accolades in the UK, namely the "Great Taste Award" for their particular pomegranate molasses and preserves (sun-dried fig and mulberry preserves) as well as their sumac.

On the menu, I had a motley blend of cultures: North African, Indian, and Lebanese. I made flat bread with za'atar, two versions of Tabbouleh, grilled fish, and curry. It was the perfect start to a late afternoon nosh with a stylishly vivid table. And, since it resulted in an early evening of great conversations followed by gourmet snacks, the dash of sweet and bitter paired in contrast with savoury and tangy worked well together.

The last bit to prepare was the dessert. I made a coffee ice-cream and used Mymoune's preserved orange peel and pumpkin. The Orange Peel and Pumpkin Syrup is part of their unique range of special concoctions with a fascinating twist. You'll find flavours like creme of dates with almonds (jam), and strawberry and rose petals (preserve).

The best part, aside from the memorable taste is the texture. As I topped off the coffee ice-cream with the orange peel and pumpkin, then came a succulent thick drizzle descending from each rounded ice-cream scoop. This combination was an unconventional one, but I was confident that it would be worth it. It was literally, "bitter-sweet" in a great way, therefore deliciously unforgettable. Unanimously, it was decided that I will certainly have to do it again.

What do you think of our cultural and colourful afternoon? Have you tried Mymoune's products?

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